• About
  • Log on
  • Register
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Safety Resources
    • Incident Alerts
    • HiPos Report
    • Guidance
    • Good practice
    • Toolbox talks
    • Hot Topics
    • Other resources
    • Videos
    • Safequarry App
  • The Fatal 6
    • Overview
    • 1. Contact with moving machinery and isolation
    • 2. Workplace transport and pedestrian interface
    • 3. Work at height
    • 4. Workplace Respirable Crystalline Silica
    • 5. Struck by moving or falling object
    • 6. Road traffic accidents
  • Vision Zero
    • Overview
    • Employee Guide
    • Core Values
    • Fatal 6
  • Safer By
    • Overview
    • Safer by competence
    • Safer by association
    • Safer by design
    • Safer by partnership
    • Safer by sharing
    • Safer by Leadership
  • Public Safety
    • Summary
    • Stay Safe
    • Cycle Safe
  • Health & Wellbeing
    • Quarries Partnership - Dust
    • Mental Health & Wellbeing
    • COVID - Safer by Sharing
    • COVID MPA Resources
  • Awards
    • Enter
    • Event
    • Sponsorship
    • Guides
    • Videos
    • Entries
  • News
  • My Information
    • My Saved Files
    • My CPD Report
  • Home
  • Safety Resources
    • Incident Alerts
    • HiPos Report
    • Guidance
    • Good practice
    • Toolbox talks
    • Hot Topics
    • Other resources
    • Videos
    • Safequarry App
  • The Fatal 6
    • Overview
    • 1. Contact with moving machinery and isolation
    • 2. Workplace transport and pedestrian interface
    • 3. Work at height
    • 4. Workplace Respirable Crystalline Silica
    • 5. Struck by moving or falling object
    • 6. Road traffic accidents
  • Vision Zero
    • Overview
    • Employee Guide
    • Core Values
    • Fatal 6
  • Safer By
    • Overview
    • Safer by competence
    • Safer by association
    • Safer by design
    • Safer by partnership
    • Safer by sharing
    • Safer by Leadership
  • Public Safety
    • Summary
    • Stay Safe
    • Cycle Safe
  • Health & Wellbeing
    • Quarries Partnership - Dust
    • Mental Health & Wellbeing
    • COVID - Safer by Sharing
    • COVID MPA Resources
  • Awards
    • Enter
    • Event
    • Sponsorship
    • Guides
    • Videos
    • Entries
  • News
  • My Information
    • My Saved Files
    • My CPD Report

The Health and Safety Hub for the Mineral Products Industry - aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, contracting, dimension stone, lime, precast concrete, masonry, mortar, readymix, recycling, silica sand, transport & logistics

  1. Home
  2. IncidentReports
  3. IncidentView

Bitumen heater incident

LOCATION:
ASPHALT/COATING PLANT
ACTIVITY:
PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING
SUB ACTIVITY:
ASPHALT & COATED STONE
ALERT STATUS:
Normal
DATE ISSUED:
28/07/2006
INCIDENT No:
00109

TITLE
Bitumen heater incident
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN

WHAT HAPPENED

A faulty heating element on a bitumen tank allowed a small amount of bitumen to become excessively overheated. This overheating may have allowed the Bitumen to break down into flammable gases such as Propane or Butane.

The control panel was sited above the heating elements and was connected by conduit. The complete system was sealed which prevented any gases that could build up from being naturally vented.

When the isolator on the control panel was manually operated an arcing of the contactors caused an ignition source for the gases resulting in a small explosion forcing the cabinet doors of the control panel to open which pushed against the operator causing him to fall over.
ACCIDENT / INCIDENT IMAGES
Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge

LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS TAKEN

If in doubt all isolation must be carried out remotely.

Inspection of all heating elements on bitumen tanks to be added to the plant PPM system.

Conduit and pipe work from the heating elements to control panels to be sealed to prevent combination of arcing and fumes to be present in the same compartments.

All leaking elements to be sealed.
All suspect tanks to be reported to safety department to allow information to be collated for the RBA
LEARNING POINTS / ACTIONS IMAGES


LOCATION:
ASPHALT/COATING PLANT
ACTIVITY:
PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING
SUB ACTIVITY:
ASPHALT & COATED STONE
ALERT STATUS:
Normal
DATE ISSUED:
28/07/2006
INCIDENT No:
00109


Request Futher Information
Print Page
convert this page to a pdf
Go Back to Search Critera

About
Mineral Products Association, 1st Floor, 297 Euston Road, London NW1 3AD
Tel: 0203 978 3400
Email: info@mineralproducts.org
MPA Logo
Contact
  • Privacy
  • Developed by OFEC
↑